Seal-lock.



\ Patented Nov. 28, |899. W. F. TRAVES.

SEAL LOCK. (Appiicmon mad Feb. 1s, 159e.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WEBSTER F. TRAVES, OF NELSON, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDMUND C. TRAVES, OF SAME PLACE.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,079, dated November 28, 1899.

Application led February 18, 1899. Serial No. 706,079. (No model.)

To tif/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WEBSTER RTRAVES, a citizen of the United States, residing in Nelson, Province of British Columbia, and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Seal-Lock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved car seal-lock which is simple and durable in construction, easily applied, and especially applicable to car-doors to indicate at once whether the car-door has been tampered with or not by unauthorized persons during its travel to its destination, at the same time permitting a ready inspection of the seal by agents on the road.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as Will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A `practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, in Which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of theimprovement as applied to car-doors and showing the door closed and sealed. Fig. 2 is alike Viewr of the same With the cover ot' the car-seallock casing and the sliding door removed. Fig. 3 is a similar View of the same with the car-door open and the cover of the casing removed, and Fig. 4t is a longitudinal sectional View of the improvement on the line 4 4 of Fig. l.

The improved seal-lock is provided with a suitably-constructed casing or body A, secured to the car B adjacent to the doorB, as is plainly indicated in the drawings, the cardoor being provided With a pin or plunger C, adapted to pass through an opening A' to the inside of the casing When the door is in a closed position, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The inner end of the pin C is adapted to engage a carrier D, mounted to slide longitudinally in the casing and held normally in an outermost position by the action of a spring E, so that when the car-doorBis closed the pin C in pressing the carrier to the left causes a compression of the spring E, and When the car-door is opened and the pin C moves out of the casing then the spring E pushes the carrier D into an open position to the right of the casing.

On the froutface of the carrier D is formed a recess D/ for receiving the seal proper, F, made of cardboard, clay, or other easily-destructible material, the seals Fto be used on a railroad being numbered consecutively or otherwise provided with legends for identifying the several stations on the road on which the seals are to be used. Each of Vthe seals F is provided With an aperture for receiving the pins G, carried by the carrier D, and a pin II, securely attached to the casingA and projecting through a longitudinal slot D2, formed in the carrier D. Now it is evident that when the seal F is iu place on the pins G and H and the door B' is opened, as indicated in Fig. 3, the spring E forces the carrier D to the right, as previously explained,

and as the seal F hangs on the fixed pin II and is also engaged by the pins G, which move through the carrier D, it is evident that the seal is broken by the strain exerted by the spring pressing the carrier D on the seal.

In order to make the seal visible,'I provide the front of the casing A with an opening A2, and under this front is held slidably a door I, provided at its forward end with a catch J, having a spring tendency toward the carrier and adapted to engage a spring cross-bar K, held inside the casing directly in front of the carrier D. 'When the carrier is pushed home, it engages the catch .I and throws the same against its spring tension into engagement with the crossbar K, in which position the parts remain until the carrier is pushed out* ward by spring E, whereupon the catch automatically springs out of engagement with the bar K. The door I is provided With a panel L, of glass or other suitable transparent material, to protect the seal F in the recess D and to permit of viewing the said seal through the opening A.

In using the device the seal is placed in po sition after the door B is closed, the door I then being in an outermost position to permit of readily inserting the seal through the opening A2, the pins G and II then standing in alinement with each other, as indicated in the drawings, to receive the seal. When this the casing.

has been done, the operator closes the door I by pushing the same inward until the catch .I engages the cross-bar K, the cross-bar yielding inwardly to admit the catch beneath it. The panel L now stands over the recess D to permit of viewing the seal, and the panel also registers with the opening A2 in the front of Now if the door is tampered withthat is, opened-the seal is broken, as previously explained, and if the door is again closed the seal is not restored, and consequently agents on the road can readily tell where and whenlthe seal was broken.

The cross-bar K is preferably made of spring-steel, and the catch J is spring-steel, and on opening the car-door the carrier D then releases the -catch J, so that the door I can be opened, but cannot be opened until the car-door has been opened and the seal broken, thus keeping any one from tampering with the seal. The car-door may be kept closed by the usual hasp and staple.

It will be seen that the carrier D, with its pins Gr, forms, broadly, a single element or member mounted to move in the casing or body and that the pin H forms, broadly, a stationary element, between which and the said movable element the seal may be held and destroyed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A seal-lock comprising a casing adapted to be fastened to one of the members to be locked, and into which is adapted to pass a pin on the other member to be locked, a springpressed carrier slidable in the said casing and adapted to be engaged by the said pin to be moved in the said casing to a closed position, the carrier being provided with means for receiving the seal, and a fixed pin on the casing and adapted to engage the said seal held on the carrier, substantially as shown and described.

2. A seal-lock comprising a casing adapted to be fastened to one member to be secured,

and into which is adapted to pass a pin on the other member to be secureda springpressed carrier slidable in the said casing and adapted to be engaged by the said pin to be moved in the said casing to a closed position, the carrier being provided with means for receiving the seal, afiXed pin on the casing and adapted to engage the said seal held on the carrier, and a door slidable in the said casing and having a panel for viewing the seal held on the carrier when the latter is in a closed position, substantially as shown and described.

3. A seal-lock, comprising a casing adapted to be fastened to one member to be secured and into which is adapted to pass a pin on the other member to be secured, a springpressed carrier slidable in the said casing and adapted to be engaged by the said pin to be moved in the said casing to a closed position, the carrier being provided with means for receiving the seal, a fixed pin on the casing and adapted to engage the said seal held on the carrier, a door slidable in the said casing and having a panel for viewing the seal held on the carrier when the latter is in a closed position, and a spring-catch on the said door for holding the latter in a locked position, as set forth.

4. In a seal-lock, the combination with a casing or body of an actuated carrier movable therein and having a longitudinal slot, the carrier being held in a position of rest by a part carried by one of the members to be secured, a pin held on t-he carrier adjacent to the slot and a pin held in the casing or body so asgto enter the slot of the carrier when the carrier is held by the said part of one of the members to be secured, the two pins being capable of holding a frangible seal so that when the carrier is released the seal will be fractured.

WEBSTER F. TRAVES.

Witnesses:

H. F. MAcLEoD, P. E. WILSON. 

